The Way We Talk
by campbellsaunders
Summary: "I like your eyes." "I've always wanted blue eyes." Frankie Hollingsworth has recently dealt with a tragedy and is forced into a therapy group to help her discover healthier ways to cope. What happens when she befriends a certain boy? AU. Rated M for sexual content.
1. Prologue: The Concept

**A/N: The prologue is named after 'The Concept' by Teenage Fanclub.**

* * *

She wanted to get to know the person she was sitting across from. His light, brunette hair moved messily across his forehead and covered his ears almost perfectly; she could still pick out the tops brushing passed his locks. There was a lack of emotion present in his eyes and something drew her to that look on his face. He seemed lost in the world that was too difficult for the two of them, and on the plus side, he wasn't bawling over a lost relative like everyone else currently in the room. His bottom was glued to his chair as he sat there quietly-not saying a word; not even his own name. Francesca Hollingsworth was fairly open about what had happened to her not even three months ago. She didn't constantly discuss it during group sessions, but when asked to explain why she was there, she had easily done just that. When the boy on the opposite side of the room was asked to do the same, he simply refused with silence, and that's all the therapist ever got out of him for the past couple of weeks. Frankie admired the way he was able to decline instructions without seeming troubled with the decision whatsoever.

How was she supposed to confront him and make the other her acquaintance? She continued to count the weeks of sessions on her calendar, marking each Thursday off with a neon pink marker, and still didn't have the courage to talk to the boy.

* * *

It was warmer than expected for late August. Frankie overly happy; she was about to begin high school in just a week, her family was still intact, and her favorite pair of shorts had just been recently washed. Caroline Hollingsworth was always up to date on laundry and practically every other chore around their household. Miles Hollingsworth II (not to be mistaken for their eldest, and only, son, Miles Hollingsworth III) brought an extremely overwhelming income home due to his interest taken in politics. A convertible was clearly in their collection of cars, and that exact day, Frankie, her mother, and her brother decided to take a drive. Caroline and Miles were seated in the front while the youngest sat safely in the back of the vehicle. That particular afternoon, Mrs. Hollingsworth had received a call regarding a designer job she had applied for, and was currently gabbing away into the speaker as their car neared a red light. Not noticing the signal to stop, Caroline continued further. They went head on into another machine.

The enormous truck was too much for their tiny convertible.

* * *

Frankie's life changed entirely once she got out of the hospital for a fairly easily treated concussion. Her dad became a different person; she couldn't even recognize him. His endless hours of drinking and not coming home until four in the morning became a regular occurrence, he resigned as mayor of the city, and the girl learned to deal with it. What else could she do? She was the kid, after all, she couldn't force her own father to get the care he obviously needed. She stayed back and watched her own dad drown his own liver in alcohol, but it wasn't like Frankie hadn't found her own methods of coping.

Upon entering high school, she put herself in the wrong crowd. At first, it had just been a way to numb the feeling-which was the "medications" she received from some strange boy only a grade ahead of her. He seemed pretty lost, too, and she couldn't help but consistently wonder why he acted the way he did. Everybody had a reason, right? At least Frankie did, but maybe not everyone had meaning behind their normal drug use-maybe they all just did it for fun unlike herself.

Zig Novak was the only boy Frankie was ever around, and that was because he couldn't afford to buy a car, which meant never having to drive. She preferred walking. It was much more peaceful, you could think clearer, and you wouldn't be able to ignore a red light by chit-chatting on your cell phone.

They spent most of their free time at the girl's house, considering Zig was always too embarrassed to show her his own. Although, she had gone there after school once to help him with an English project. But they never left the convenience store part. Which Frankie didn't mind, considering she had gotten free ice cream out of their freezers. It was unlimited, as well, but she only assumed Zig didn't reject the girl from getting more was because he had a thing for her; she had only guessed that from the last couple of nights they had spent together before that.

Frankie lost her virginity to Zig Novak on September 14th. It happened on a Saturday night after being high off of a pill he had given her; she hadn't minded doing it.

This date was also marked on her calendar in the same neon pink marker. That's the only way she could recall or remember anything semi-important in her life.

It hurt, but in a way that wasn't explainable. She suffered through it and then was forced to beam about how great he had been, but to be utterly blunt, it sucked. There were no sparks, no feelings, and certainly no connection. Zig was attached at her hip now, and Frankie didn't like it. She didn't want a boyfriend, she had wanted a one night stand.

That one night turned into two, and that two turned into three, and so on…

One week. She had done it seven times, and each of them were marked on the correct dates-Frankie was high every time.

* * *

It's hard to put into words what an anxiety attack is like, especially when it won't end. Having one in the back of a car is even worse, and then when your dad doesn't know what is going on, and then you're taken to the hospital, and then nurses and doctors are surrounding you..

It feels like hell; at least that's how Frankie would describe the experience.

How was she supposed to explain what was wrong with about seven people leaning over her bed, demanding answers? She already couldn't breathe and they were making the space even tighter.. like her chest.. she couldn't feel her heart beating anymore.. And the next thing she knew, she was awake; everything was white. There were no nurses, no doctors, not a professional in sight. The only person present was a concerned Miles Hollingsworth pacing around the room. His black shoes hit the tiles in an irregular, also annoying, pattern; it bothered Frankie. But he was here, and he cared. He was worried about his only daughter's well being.

This day was also marked on her calendar-September 24th.

Agreeing to attend a group therapy session every Thursday wasn't something Frankie had done willingly. It was either that or to be put on some sort of anxiety meds, which would mean no longer being able to consume the drugs Zig gave her on a daily basis due to the fact they would make the episodes worse. Therapy seemed like the best option, and it wasn't as terrible as she had anticipated. She wasn't commanded to express her feelings; all that mattered was if she sat there for an hour or not. It was as simple as that. Oh well if she didn't make any progress.

* * *

October 25th was the next square covered with pink marker. She scribbled it in hard and fast, almost moving into the sections that contained the 24th and 26th.

His mom was late to pick him up, as well as Frankie's dad. She sat in the waiting room with him. She learned his name-it was Cam. She hadn't been able to get a last name out of him, but she had gratefully given hers in hope he would try to locate her whereabouts. She couldn't help but doubt this, though, considering he seemed too "cool" to attempt something like that. Before she could uncover anything interesting about the boy, his mom arrived, and he had to go.

Later that night, she logged onto FaceRange with a friend request and short message from some kid named 'Campbell Saunders'.

_'Hi. Did your dad ever pick you up?'_


	2. Chapter 1: The Sea is

**A/N: This chapter is named after 'The Sea is' by Los Campesinos.**

* * *

"Frankie, how was your week?"

_'Don't respond, don't respond.. There's a cute boy looking..'_

Frankie glanced in Cam's direction before allowing her thoughts to continue.

_'Okay, there's a cute boy listening.. Not looking..'_

Her arms crossed her chest in a rebellious manner, trying her best to look as badass as possible. _'I hate the world, I hate people, I'd rather be anywhere else but here…'_ Her mind trailed on further, wanting to act exactly the way Cam did. Although, only two out of those three thoughts were true. She didn't hate people, and she certainly didn't hate the world. The universe had only been overly cruel very limited times in her life. There had to be something beautiful lurking on this planet somewhere. She still had time to laugh, to live, and to love. There was no reason to mope around just because her brother and mother were gone; she was going to live a life great enough for all three of them. They wouldn't want her to be some melancholic soul due to her mom's own mistake. She wanted to be joyful, happy, anything that would keep her life positive. Breathing was a pleasure; eating was a luxury; being able to dip your toes into the ocean was amazing.. Everything was amazing.

Campbell clearly didn't think like this. There was always a cold and disappointed look on his face, and she wished she could guess what had happened to the boy to make him think like this. Why couldn't everyone see all the magnificence in this world like she did?

The therapist was staring at her. The whole groups' eyes were on her. Frankie had even seen Cam catch a quick glimpse of her. They all expected her to speak; she had never denied responding before. This was out of the ordinary and her father would for sure be informed. It wasn't as if he'd understand the call, anyway, considering he'd be completely wasted-as usual, but Frankie didn't want the rest of the kids finding her weird; she could feel a panic attack in the process.

"I picked a patch of flowers." She blurted out, realizing how childlike and foolish she must've sounded. She could have swore she saw Campbell scoff at her for the reply, and a frown became present on her lips. She hadn't meant to say something that stupid, but it was the first thing that came to her mind other than the people currently located around her; judging her. "They were yellow. I picked out my favorites to put in my hair." Frankie added with a light sigh, finding an abrupt interest in the pair of sneakers on her two small feet. "I like accessories." She said confidently, a small grin sneaking onto her berry flavored, lip glossed covered mouth. She didn't care if Cam found her naive due to the fact she barely knew the guy; she liked flowers, and there was nothing wrong with it.

* * *

A certain raven-haired boy promised to meet her outside of the building once the session was over. Frankie didn't show how much she appreciated Zig on the outside, but she truly did. He was one of the only people she really hung around. Of course, she spoke to a couple of girls in her classes, but they never really got her as much as Zig did. Of course, this value didn't go anything above a friendship, which the other problematic teen would have been greatly dissatisfied by. She had hinted that she didn't want to create anything above their current relationship status, but Zig continued to keep pushing towards it, which made Frankie feel like the bad guy in the process. Once in a while, she would give in, and that would end in brief, meaningless kisses. Which also made the situation worsen, because she was technically leading the older boy on. It was all one giant mess and all Frankie wanted was for Zig to see her as just a friend.

She greeted the familiar face with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smelt of his regular cologne, and she was well aware that it was only to hide the scent of weed. "Hey, Ziggy." She mumbled into his shoulder before pulling away from the quick embrace, glad to be out of the therapy room. She couldn't make an idiot of herself in front of Zig, considering he was too blinded by his feelings of like to notice it.

"How was it?" He asked, clearly interested in how the session had really been. He showed real attentiveness in what was going on with Frankie, and she admired that. It was too bad that he had too much of a similar personality to be 'boyfriend material'.

"I made myself look stupid. It was-" She was cut off by another foreign and undetectable voice.

The words "Who is this?" caused Frankie to twirl around, catching Campbell Saunders in her sight. Her heartbeat stopped for a moment. The utterly adorable boy was _still_ talking to her after the vacuous event that had taken place minutes before?

"Zig. He's a friend." The girl was swift to answer, motioning behind her towards Zig. The two boys exchanged a handshake and few words. As she observed, Frankie couldn't understand why Cam confronted her today-out of all days. Zig was around and she couldn't say anything remotely close about how nice she found his appearance to be or how much she enjoyed the way he was able to disregard the therapist's instructions. Her friend would have shown jealous on the spot and she didn't want a brawl to happen in front of any fellow patients.

The whole conversation was plain and unneeded, at least that's what Frankie had assumed at the time. The teenagers said quick and rushed goodbyes before Zig headed off with the girl and Cam hurried into the passenger seat of his mother's car.

* * *

It was late when Frankie got home after another night with Zig. She hadn't checked her phone for hours and supposed it would be a smart thing to do. Once she was settled into her bed, she found herself scrolling through all of her social networks, until she reached FaceRange. Yet another message was in her inbox from Campbell and she couldn't help but allow her eyes to squint at it. What was he doing messaging her? They had only held a few chats from the time he requested her, but it had never been anything long or heavy.

_'Did you have fun with your boyfriend?'_ was across the screen, and Frankie couldn't help but giggle at the words; the girl wasn't sure if it was because of the pot she had inhaled or if she found it genuinely funny. The idea of Zig Novak being her boyfriend was overly hilarious and she was soon consumed into a light laughing fit.

_'Zig isn't my boyfriend. We're seriously just friends. Why? jealous?'_

_'I don't even know you. I was just wondering.'_

_'You seem awfully curious for a stranger.'_

_'Sorry.. I'll back off.'_

But Frankie didn't want Cam to 'back off'. She found the question amusing and legitimately enjoyed the attention she was receiving. It wasn't as if she got it from anyone else that didn't go by the name of 'Zig', so it was refreshing that somebody was that interested.

_'I don't have a boyfriend at all, jsyk.'_

_'Weird.'_

_'Why is it weird?'_

_'You're too pretty.'_

Butterflies. Heartbeats. Frankie was ecstatic, and the relaxing effects of the marijuana in her system weren't able to contain her excitement from those three words. She had never been called something as simple as pretty before, and she loved it. She loved everything; the world was absolutely fantastic. Although, she didn't want to overreact to the compliment, considering Cam wasn't able to see her so she could be as calm as she wanted.

_'Thanks. I'm heading to bed. See you next Thursday.'_

_'Night. :)'_

That was the first emoticon he had ever used in a FaceRange conversation with her before. Actually, she was positive she had never seen the boy smile in public-ever. His emotions were always hidden away and Frankie couldn't read him. It bothered her to no end, but there was no way she could tell him about her annoyance towards it; she barely knew him.

* * *

Thursday's session came and went. It was fairly straightforward and Frankie hadn't done anything to embarrass herself this week. Zig wasn't able to walk around with her today, which she didn't mind, because of the fact she had never had an issue with being by herself. She could think consistently without being interrupted by others. She trudged out of the building, being stopped by a firm hand gripping her shoulder.

Glancing over the limb, she found Cam being the subject, and that confused her again. Why was he always sneaking up on her like that after they left the room? Did he need something?

Without saying a word, the boy leaned over into a nearby area of grass, which contained limited yellow flowers sprouting from the disgusting, and black, dirt. He pulled up one of the stems, placing the flower into Frankie's brunette locks as gently as possible. Cam looked over the object, trying to figure out if he liked it or not. Suddenly, his brown eyes lit up. He had finally decided.

"You _do_ pull it off. It looks really nice. I was only wondering again. Sorry." Cam said with a sly and devious smirk, not being able to help but let a low chuckle pass his slightly chapped and pink lips.

After watching Frankie stand there dumbfounded, he added, "Message me tonight. I hate doing it first. I always feel like I'm annoying you."

Before she could respond to his very few statements, Campbell Saunders was gone, and her face was blushing a red tint. Was her heart beating? Was she even alive anymore? Frankie couldn't tell, but she didn't wait any longer before ripping her phone out of her pocket and shooting the boy a FaceRange message; she was thrilled to chat with him all night long.


	3. Chapter 2: I exist, I exist, I exist

**A/N: This chapter is named after 'I exist, I exist, I exist' by Flatsound.**

* * *

_Thump, clack, thump, clack, squeak..._

The heels of Cam's damp sneakers wouldn't shut up, and the boy was about ready to walk around the school in his ragged, holey, socks. Rain had never been something he was ever fond of, well, there had been a time where he could at least _stand_ that sort of weather, but Justin had always loved rainy days. He always came home smelling like a drenched pig, and Cam would yell at him to change his clothes, his mother would force him to down an entire can of soup just in case he caught a cold from practicing outside when it was like that...

His shoes found their way into a nearby trash can; he had tossed them angrily into the black bag, hoping to rid himself of any type of memoir of Justin. Detention for refusing to wear his shoes? His mother would only laugh at that one; he could've done worse with the pair.

Campbell entered the lunchroom, not entirely sure why he was here. He typically never ate the school's lunch. Cam continued to search for a place to sit; he had finally been able to pick one out towards the back, but was interrupted by another boy.

"Hey, kid with no shoes!"

The boy that had called him had been at a fairly close table, so Cam saw no harm in wandering over there. As he stepped closer, he saw a pretentious look on Zig Novak's face. His friends that surrounded him seemed to be chuckling awfully hard at the not-so-offensive comment Zig had just made about him. The other motioned for him to sit down, and Cam obeyed, an obviously puzzled look on his facial features.

"You're the guy in Frankie's therapy group, right?" Zig asked, and Campbell could only simply nod his head. He remembered the other teen; he had been the one he assumed to be Frankie's boyfriend. It would've made sense, anyway, the way he looked at the younger girl. He had been gazing at her like she was a large, expensive diamond-maybe something even better than that. "What? Does the shrink take up so much of your parents' money that you can't afford shoes?"

Cam forced a laugh at his attempt of a joke, trying not to appear offended by it in the slightest. If it hadn't made him feel like a freak; an outcast, maybe he would have found the comment a little amusing. Of course, Zig's friends all seemed entertained by it, considering another roar of laughter erupted at the small table. The boy reminded him a lot of himself from a few years prior, due to the fact Cam used to try overly hard to be accepted by the clique he obtained a desire to be. He took this into his analysis as he tried to uncover a few adjectives to describe Zig Novak this far into their conversation.

"You don't talk much, do ya? Frankie says how you guys talk all the time on FaceRange. Isn't she great?" Zig paused for a moment. "And no, that isn't sarcasm-she's_ really_ amazing. She's able to see the positive in any situation. I love it." He was beaming at this point, and one of the tenth graders next to Zig smacked him in the shoulder.

"What?" Zig exclaimed quickly, turning his attention in that direction and completely away from Cam. "It's not my fault she's practically perfect. I wish everybody was like her-even you guys." This caused another collection of laughter from the boys around, which Campbell didn't get. He had just insulted them, so why did they find it hysterical? What Zig had just mentioned about Frankie was entirely correct, though. He could recall every single FaceRange chat they had from the few days they had been talking nonstop, and even when she was complaining about something, she always seemed to be able to find the good in it. Cam wasn't like this at all, and he wished he could be. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from the younger one; he could see why Zig was infatuated with her. Frankie Hollingsworth was a person to admire.

Thank God it was Wednesday, so he'd have an excuse to talk to the girl in person tomorrow.

* * *

It wasn't difficult to catch up to Frankie after their session was over, especially since it was another week that Zig wasn't there to walk her home-or at least that's what Cam assumed the two did; he wasn't positive on what activity they ended up doing. This time, the whole greeting hadn't been completely spontaneous, considering he had been talking to her constantly for a week now. He was beginning to be able to call Frankie one of his acquaintances, or maybe even a friend; Cam wasn't sure just yet. "Let's hang out-today." The boy announced abruptly, causing Frankie to giggle.

"Aren't you going to ask me instead of just demanding?" Her eyebrows rose a little as she questioned his motives.

"Oh, right.. Sorry." Cam felt stupid, but continued on anyways. "Do you want to hang out with me?"

Frankie simply smiled, gripping onto his arm and beginning to pull the boy with her. "I have the perfect idea." She told him, not making another noise until they reached the current destination she had set out for the pair.

* * *

Each teens' legs were settled into the grass below them, having no choice but to either look at one another or the trees rising above them. Frankie's idea had been sitting in the woods that were located on the outskirts of Toronto. It had been a fairly long walk, but neither of the two had seemed to mind the agonizing process. They had both certainly been through worse, so a little exercise wasn't going to cause any sort of damage-plus, it was nothing compared to the drills Cam had to complete for hockey.

"Have you ever gotten high before?" Frankie was the first one to speak, and the boy was immediately shocked by the question. It took him a second to realize what she was asking, and even when it had finally gotten to his head, he didn't know how to respond.

"Yeah! Tons of times." It wasn't difficult for Cam to lie these days; he was practically a professional at the sport. He hadn't even tried any drug once or consumed a drop of alcohol-he tended to keep away from things that would increase his chances of being kicked off of the Ice Hounds.

"Great! I mean, I was thinking that we could do that. If you're okay with it."

Cam wanted to be hesitant to agree; he didn't want to give into the peer pressure of an irresistible girl. He had always told himself he would never attempt any of this stuff, but his morals didn't seem sufficient enough to halt him from taking the joint Frankie placed into his palm. Haphazard drug tests were apart of the hockey team, and all Cam could hope was that one wouldn't randomly be planned in the next couple of days. He wasn't aware of how long marijuana would stay in your system, but as long as they didn't have to take one in that span of time, he should be okay. How bad was pot, really? He had heard about the effects of consuming the drug, and none of them seemed to be ridiculously horrific. If a sweet, innocent girl like Frankie Hollingsworth was into smoking, then why shouldn't Campbell try it at least one time?

As he brought the blunt to his lips after the object being lit, he inhaled the contents. He was only able to keep the smoke in between his cheeks before desperately coughing, trying to quickly fill his lungs up with air again. He hadn't expected it to be impossibly arduous and was taken by surprise of the difficulty. His goal was to not come off as total newbie, though, so he quickly took another hit; the same thing happened this time. It continued to occur each time, and the boy was far too embarrassed to glance at Frankie's face. He'd never be as cool as her.

Frankie observed as Cam continuously took one hit after another, completely oblivious to the fact that this was his first time. She hadn't even made the connection from how awful he was at it, and even if she had, she wouldn't have been rude and pointed it out. Reaching over and snatching the joint out of the boy's hand, she grinned cunningly at the other teen due to his worried expression. "Are you going to save any for me or what?" She copied Campbell's actions shortly after that, but they she did it seemed more natural; it was as if she had been smoking for years. When in reality, Frankie had only picked up the habit a few weeks into high school.

They took turns passing the joint back and forth, while Cam persisted in his coughing and Frankie was able to hold in the smoke from the stick longer. The adolescents exchanged incoherent and plain sentences as this sustained, not being able to detect the true meaning behind their own words. Everything seemed peaceful and unperturbed; neither of them had any worries. This was a feeling Cam could get used to, but this wasn't routine he wanted to develop. He didn't have anything against the girl for using weed to ease her problems (the problems he wasn't fully clued into, but he didn't want to intimidate her to tell, considering he doubted the reason why he attended the therapy sessions would ever leave his thoughts), but it just wasn't something he could pick up due to hockey.

"How are you so positive?" Campbell knew what he was asking, but he currently didn't care; his filter had wasted away entirely.

Frankie laughed lightly, a smile still present on her lips. "What do you mean?" She questioned, not sure on what the boy meant from his inquiry.

"You know.. You're in therapy for a reason. Why are you always so damn happy? I don't get it." He couldn't help but laugh as well, not knowing what was funny exactly.

Frankie leaned in closer, the odor of weed lingering on her clothes. Cam was almost certain that his own attire smelt a similar way.

"Bad things happen, you just have to move onnnn." The niner giggled as she drew out the last syllable, scooting her body even nearer. "See good things in the world. Like sunshine, flowers, junk food, love.." Their noses were practically touching, and Campbell could feel himself growing uncomfortable with the closeness. "And the pot helps." She added, refusing to move away although her vague response had been finished moment earlier.

"Pot.." Cam repeated, stressing the 'P' sound as he spoke. He broke out in a fit of laughter again, feeling much more nonchalant than he had been minutes before. He had been freaking out over if Frankie would find him an appealing person or not, but right now, the boy wasn't concerned on how she thought of him.

Frankie joined in on the laughter, but the noises of hysteria soon died down, turning into a pleasant silence. The two stared at each other, looking over each other's brown eyes. Cam liked how they both had the same color; it was a matching trait they could compare.

"I like your eyes." The girl complimented, finding the humor in her statement at the same time Campbell had. Another corresponding amount of giggles erupted before slowly stopping. Cam tried to think of some sort of reply, but he could only come up with a simple comment instead of thanking her for the kind words.

"I've always wanted blue eyes." He paused before allowing a genuine, lighthearted smile on his face. "Justin had blue eyes. I was always jealous." Cam decided to continue, considering in that moment he didn't care. "Justin's my brother."

Frankie was too stoned to take note of the past tense the boy had been using, so she returned the smile as he spoke. "Can I meet him?"

Cam swiftly shook his head, not even a hint of emotion showing in his face. "He's dead." He observed as Frankie's expression turned into a sympathetic look, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Campbell decided right then and there that he didn't want to hear it. He closed in on the girl, forcing his lips against hers so she wouldn't be able to speak. His arms wrapped around her waist as his fingers gripped the piece of fabric that was covering her petite body. Even at this point, Frankie hadn't found the strength to return the kiss. She was still confused as to what this meant, due to the fact the two hadn't exchanged more than a couple words other than today. Gradually, she began to move her lips against his, not finding this feeling unknown. Although, she had only kissed one other boy in her fifteen years, so it was satisfying to explore another's mouth. He tasted like, to be completely candid, smoke. It was a flavor Frankie was used to, and it wasn't like she could fully judge Cam for the tang, since the inbetween of her lips were most likely the same.

Tongues pushed passed clenched mouths, inspecting the new territory they had both been granted with. Their noses had finally brushed against one another and Frankie's arms were placed perfectly around his neck.

They both moved back at the same time to breathe, gasping distraughtly for oxygen. They stayed in each other's embrace, feeling completely cozy and too sluggish to untangle themselves.

"Were you guys close?" Frankie questioned once her breathing was back to normal and she was able to speak.

All Cam could do was shrug his shoulders, not having any desire to answer her short interrogation. The girl immediately took this as a no, and decided the topic wasn't worth talking about anymore.

That was far from the truth, though.

* * *

Campbell and Frankie exited the patch of trees, keeping their hands connected. They both found a sort of warmth from each other and it shielded them from the mid-November breeze that neither of them enjoyed. Once they were standing on some type of pavement, Frankie forced Cam to stop walking, turning to face the boy. She rummaged around in her coat pocket for a writing utensil, finding the pink marker she used to mark dates on her calendar. (And this day, November 15th, was certainly getting scribbled in.) Before he could do anything, her fingers on the opposite hand were fiddling with his sleeve, forcing the sweatshirt up his arm. When his bare arm was exposed and flipped over, Frankie noticed red scratches and light scars all over his skin. All the girl did was inhale lightly, not commenting on the sight she had just witnessed. Everybody had their ways to cope, and her way was drugs-Cam had taken a completely different route.

She took her marker, sprawling her cell phone number across his palm rather than his wrist, and then quickly moving his sleeve back down so he wouldn't have to move a single muscle. Frankie smiled at him weakly before taking a few steps away. "FaceRange is totally lame." She explained, ignoring what had happened only seconds before. "Text me-or call, if you're into that old fashioned thing." She added before turning her back towards the boy, and then hurrying off home.

Only seconds after she was out of Cam's vision, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She briskly grabbed the object, reading the message she had recently received.

_'Thanks for not being scared.'_


	4. Chapter 3: Fake Problems

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I was reading the best fanfic in the world; this chapter is inspired by it. Shout out to 'My Immortal'. OuO**

**This chapter is named after 'Fake Problems' by Songs for Teenagers.**

* * *

Parties weren't Campbell's thing, but apparently they were Frankie's.

The last month had been filled with relentless flirting and stimulated kisses. If you asked either of them to explain what their relationship status was, neither of the teens would have an answer. Technically, the two weren't together but were simply devoted to each other. Although, it wouldn't be hard to cut off all of the ties they had with one another, considering nothing official had came out of the mindlessly playful teasing and late night make-out sessions. They never forced each other to talk about what happened in the past or the reason as to why they both attended therapy. Frankie didn't bring up Cam's self harm and he didn't bring up her drug habits; that was what they found special about the other. Soulmates hadn't been a thing either of them ever believed in, but they were slowly beginning to think that just _maybe_ they had found theirs.

Campbell didn't want to become besotted with a girl he had met in group therapy since there was clearly something wrong in her head; he couldn't care about someone that wasn't mentally well-not after everything with Justin.

* * *

**Frankie Hollingsworth:** What are you doing Saturday?

**Campbell Saunders:** Hanging out with you, I guess.. :)

**Frankie Hollingsworth:** You know it. There's going to be this huge thing at the Ravine tonight. Come keep me company?

**Campbell Saunders:** What do I get for it?

**Frankie Hollingsworth:** Me being happy?

**Campbell Saunders:** Sounds good to me. :P

There was a quick pause before Cam began to type again.

**Campbell Saunders:** Come to my house and I'll drive us.

Cam went on to type is address.

To say that Frankie was tense over her latest FaceRange chat with Cam would be an understatement. She hadn't gotten into a car since the night of her first, and currently only, anxiety attack. Her mind racked for an excuse as to why they wouldn't have to drive to their destination. She would come up with a reason before the night she had to be at his house; she was always able to. Frankie could recall a time where one of Zig's friends had offered to give her a ride home from school, considering her house was awfully far from Degrassi to begin with. She had denied the request by saying she was going to meet her dad at a nearby grocery store because he was already there picking up a few items. Although, this had been an obvious lie, but the boy had bought it and left without another word.

But all of this didn't stop her from already scribbling in December 14th on her calendar.

* * *

On Saturday, as planned, her feet carried her to the address she had received, taking about a half hour to actually arrive at the location. Her crop top has risen and her shoes collected rocks in the inside as she had walked, and Frankie was only able to notice this after she had stopped moving, while standing awkwardly in front of the Saunders' household. She swiftly pulled on the fabric of her shirt, attempting to force it lower on her body. She removed one of her shoes, shaking the pebbles out of it, hoping she could make more time pass by going through with these motions. She was still nervous about being at Campbell's house, but she wasn't sure on why. It wasn't like it could be any worse than her own home-which was always untidy because her alcoholic father never bothered with it, and Frankie wasn't a neat person herself. She sighed loudly, taking a few steps forward so she could meet the porch.

She knocked on the door three times; it took Cam twenty-two seconds to come to the door. It took longer than she anticipated, but when the door had finally opened, the reason as to why it had been so lengthy was answered. The boy was standing there in a kitchen apron and Frankie couldn't help but giggle. It was apparent that Cam hadn't noticed how silly he looked, because he stepped aside as if it was nothing, and allowed her to come inside.

As soon as Frankie was in the house, she began to glance about the rooms, looking for any sort of flaw. Everything was completely spotless, and pictures of a, what she assumed, happy family were sprawled over the white walls. She could hear the stomps of younger siblings upstairs, childish giggling, and chimes of 'I got you now!' or 'You're gonna pay for that!' She wished her own house could've sounded as welcoming as Campbell's, but you were typically only greeted with the snores of a wasted Mr. Hollingsworth and _maybe_ the coffee pot brewing. It was too quintessential in this house, and Frankie wanted to find some sort of imperfection.

Cam led her into the kitchen, where noodles happened to be boiling in a large pot. He immediately returned to his position over the stove. After he was sure the food was alright, he turned to Frankie, giving her a brittle smile. "You can have some if you want. I made extra for my mom, but she's not here yet."

The girl automatically shook her head out of politeness, not wanting to consume the family's food. "No, I ate before I left, but thanks." Which was a lie, but it didn't bother her in the slightest. She paused for a moment, returning the grin. "I'm sure she'll be hungry when she gets home."

All Cam did was sigh underneath his breath, mumbling something about how his 'mom would be too busy to eat', and then turn back to his current preparation. He knew his mother would be bringing home another guy tonight; it was a nightly routine that he had gotten used to in the years.

* * *

Eloise, a girl who appeared to be about eleven or twelve, came rushing down the stairs with Aaron, a boy around the age of eight. They ran into the kitchen, stopping when they both became aware of the stranger that was now standing in their house.

"Cammy has a girlfriend!" was promptly acclaimed by the oldest, making Cam's cheeks turn a vibrant pink. All Frankie could do was laugh uncomfortably, not knowing how to respond to the younger girl. On cue, Campbell forced his siblings to sit down at the dinner table, hoping he wouldn't have to hear another comment once their food was given to them.

* * *

"So, I was thinking..." Frankie trailed off as her and Cam were about to exit the house, leaving Eloise to keep an eye on Aaron until his mother returned home. "Let's just walk. The Ravine isn't_ that_ far and it's nice out-for being December and all."

Cam raised his eyebrows at the girl beside him, trying to remember what the weather outside had felt like earlier that day. He could recollect that it had been chilly, and walking a few blocks would be torturous. Although, he was a hockey player after all, and could deal with the frigid wind. He also took into account that Frankie had been the one to suggest walking, so he assumed she was able to deal with the bitter breeze of Canadian Decembers. "Alright." Campbell eventually found himself agreeing, reaching towards the door knob to pull it open. Before actually doing so, he noticed how thin of a jacket Frankie was currently wearing. "Wait here." He spoke quickly before rapidly hurrying towards the stairs, making his way to his room.

When Cam came back down, he had one of his sweatshirts in hand, before giving it to the girl who had stayed in the same position he had left her in. "It's cold, so take this." He commanded, not accepting the article of clothing when Frankie attempted to offer him the item back. Once it was on the small girl, he finally let the two of them leave the house, trudging in the direction of their sought out location.

* * *

The area was a place Campbell Saunders had never been. Of course, he had heard rumors about it, but hadn't actually checked out the place for himself. Frankie seemed to be familiar with it, due to the fact she was greeting just about _everyone_ they walked pass. Cam stood there unpleasantly as she greeted her, what he assumed to be, friends. He flashed forced smiles at all of the teenagers she spoke to. At some point, Frankie had hooked her arm within his, pulling him a bit closer. This made Cam feel as if she was trying her best to make him comfortable in these new surroundings, and he couldn't help but settle into her side a bit, following her around the Ravine willingly and not being as awkward as he had been only two minutes prior. He felt relaxed now; it was the calmest he had ever been since Justin's misfortune.

Zig had been nearby, having a brief conversation with another resident of the Ravine, but soon found the pair over tons of adolescents. He quickly excused himself, making sure he was able to get to Frankie as fast as he possibly could. His legs carried him in front of the younger girl, a goofy grin plastered across his face due to the sight of her. He noticed Frankie glance at Cam, and then return the smile. Zig broke the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, Frank."

"Zig! Hi!" She replied enthusiastically, pulling away from Campbell for a moment to give the other boy a hug.

As she had moved away, Cam took a few steps back, not wanting to interrupt their, hopefully short lived, reunion. He shuffled his feet together before beginning to tug at his sleeve, which had always been a nervous habit of his. He shouldn't have assumed that Frankie would spend _all_ of her time with him-he wasn't anything special. She was, though, and he couldn't understand why a girl like _her_ would even give him the time of day. Before Cam knew it, since he hadn't been paying much attention, the younger teen was being pulled away by Zig. She shot him multiple apologetic glances and he allowed the same look on his own face, trying his very best not to seem hurt over the fact she had just ditched him.

The boy began to wander around the Ravine, considering the option of going home. Why had Frankie invited him here if she was just going to run off with Zig? Maybe she didn't like him as much as he liked her; how could he have been so stupid to believe that someone else would return any type of feelings? All Campbell was good for was hooking up with random puck bunnies. The sudden realization hit him; he was exactly like his mother. It was a fate he should've accepted by now, considering he had to watch his mom bring home one guy after another. This had started not even a week after his brother died. Her own marriage was ruined, not like he truly cared. His father practically disowned him the moment Cam found the older boy dead in their bedroom. It was his fault, anyway... Everything was his fault…

His body hit someone else's, and he was quick to apologize for the incident. As he began to examine the person he had ran into, he was able to pick out a girl. (She was definitely taller than him, due to her heels-at least Cam _hoped_ it was the heels). She had the darkest brown hair he had ever seen and her eyes gazed right into his soul. This stranger had an extremely short, black skirt on, as well as a shirt that showed her bare, and fit, stomach. To say that she was intriguing would be the right word, and since Frankie clearly wasn't interested in him, what could he possibly lose?

"Oh! It's fi-" The girl was cut off once she also realized who she had a collision with. "Hey, you're that hockey guy, right?"

It was something Cam got a lot; he was used to the question. "Uh, yeah! Cam." He held his hand out for her to shake, and she did. "But you are?"

"Zoe Rivas." She was fast to respond, an alluring smile being put on her lips as she spoke. Campbell was able to pick out the coat of lip gloss she had put on before coming here. Her lips looked soft but her hair appeared even softer. "Do you want to go dance or something?" Zoe spoke again, allowing her eyebrows to raise at the boy. She forced Cam out of his thoughts, which made him halt his admiration for her looks.

Cam couldn't help but glance around the Ravine, not being able to find Frankie or Zig in sight. He turned his attention back to Zoe before grinning at her. "Or something." If she was going to ditch him for some other guy, he was going to attempt to make her jealous in the process.

"What do you-" He cut her off by pressing his lips on hers, not caring about anything else in the moment. Zoe didn't seem to mind, considering she returned the kiss without any issues. Cam soon pulled her closer, deepening the embrace by picking her up and forcing her legs to wrap around his waist. People were passing them; he could hear their feet trudging around, but the two strangers didn't appear to care. He could detect alcohol on the girl's tongue as his own roamed her mouth, so he soon realized why she hadn't rejected the kiss. He wasn't sure on how much Zoe had drank, since he didn't know her whatsoever. She wasn't protesting the actions, and was actually getting into it. The only word that was flashing through Cam's mind was 'jealous', due to the fact that's what he wanted Frankie to feel, but he had never stopped to wonder if he was taking advantage of the poor, intoxicated girl in front of him. He wanted to show Frankie what she was missing tonight by deciding to stick around with Zig rather than him. He didn't want to get hurt by another human being; not again, so why not be the heartbreaker this time? It wasn't as if Frankie truly had any concern for his feelings; she left him at the first chance that had been tossed her way.

Wanting to stop his thoughts, Campbell began to trace her jawline with his mouth, moving down to her neck. He nipped at the skin gently, erupting a low groan from Zoe as he did this. He then bit the girl's neck as considerately as possible, forming red spot on her flesh immediately; he assumed this would turn into some sort of purple bruise by tomorrow morning. He soon brought his lips back to hers, returning to the heavy and sensual kiss, copying the same actions as before.

Zoe unconnected her lips from his moments later. "Let's take this to the van." She suggested in a sultry tone. Cam nodded in agreement, no hesitance in his movement, even though he wasn't completely sure on what this meant. But he did have a hint. He set her back down on the ground, grasping onto the girl's hand, and pulling her in the direction of the vehicle he was able to find with ease. The two soon entered their destination, not having any need to exit until later that night.

* * *

Zig was pulling on Frankie's arms in a desperate endeavor to keep her with him. He didn't want her to be with another guy; he was the one who had been with the girl through everything. Why was Campbell allowed to just swoop in and take her away from him?

"C'mon, Frankie! One more dance!" He pleaded, pulling her closer to him. A half smirk was present on his lips, hoping to be able to convince her to stay near him with "that" look.

Frankie sighed underneath her breath, not being able to help but giggle at his struggle to appear cool and mysterious around her. She knew the boy too well; he was stupid, immature, and puerile-but that's what she liked most about being Zig's friend. "I have to find Cam and get home. It's past my bedtime." She joked with a light, and barely forced, laugh.

"Let me help you?"

Frankie couldn't reject the help, so she simply agreed, roaming around the Ravine with Zig in the search of Campbell. It had seemed as if they had looked in every single corner of the place, and there was no trace of the boy. Was it really her job to make sure he got home safely? She had brought him here, but on the other hand, he could certainly take care of himself.

"It doesn't look like he's around. Can I walk you home?"

Frankie didn't object again, allowing Zig to stroll Toronto with her until she reached her house.

He never took her home. They ended up on a park bench, getting high together instead. And during all of this, she was still wearing Cam's sweatshirt, coziness and warmth filling her insides because of the fabric. Or maybe it was because she could still sniff the scent of Campbell on it; the one and only scent that relaxed her.


	5. Chapter 4: Bloodstream

**A/N: I've moved the rating up, due to sexual content in this chapter, and most likely future ones. Heh OuO.**

**This chapter is named after 'Bloodstream' by Stateless.**

* * *

Sunday and Monday went by without the either of them talking to one another.

Technically, it was more like Cam avoiding every single text Frankie sent him, and his inbox had been filled with close to forty messages. To avoid any sort of temptation in answering them, he kept his phone in the corner of his room, not wanting to even glance at it. It wasn't as if anyone else attempted to contact him, so it wasn't difficult to venture away from the, at this point useless, device. Although, it was nice to know that someone cared enough to harass him, even if he assumed that person had never returned any sort of feelings for him.  
Monday night, he decided to finally check his phone, picking it up off of the floor. Frankie had bombarded him with questions regarding Zoe and the Ravine. Were rumors already starting? The only way _anybody_ would be aware of the night was if Zoe told. After he scrolled passed all of the Zoe inquiries, seeing that the timestamps weren't far from how late it currently was which indicated she hadn't sent them too long ago, one arrangement of words stood out.

_'I still have your sweatshirt. Do you want it back?'_

* * *

His locker was much closer to hers then he had initially thought.

He rummaged through the area, looking for the textbooks that belonged to his first class. As he was fumbling and dropping all of the objects inside of his locker, he was able to detect feet hurrying towards him. Slamming the door to shut, he turn around to see who it was, and to his surprise, it was Frankie, who apparently still had his sweatshirt on.

"Is it true?" No greeting; no friendly smile. She got straight to the point, which was something he had always liked about her. Beating around the bush wasn't exactly his style either.

"Is what true?" Cam replied, pretty confident that he knew what her question had been regarding to, but he wanted to be certain before admitting to anything along those lines.

"Everybody's saying you and Zoe gave each other head on Saturday. Is _that_ true?"

Campbell struggled to respond, considering the look on Frankie's face. Her expression came off as more upset than angry. What if she _had_ really liked him? He couldn't deny the truth now, though, considering that lying would make everything worse.

"Yeah." He paused, noticing that the girl had taken a few steps back, as if she was getting ready to leave. "But, wait, let me explain!" He spoke quickly, hoping to get her to stick around.

All Frankie did was shake her head. "You don't have to explain anything." The younger brunette mumbled as she began to stomp off, leaving Cam with the guiltiest look on his face.

* * *

He couldn't stop thinking about how terribly he had messed up. It was the only thought that consumed him the entire day, and all Cam wanted to do was mend things with her. He couldn't concentrate in any of his classes-not like he ever did, due to the fact he found all of the subjects completely and utterly boring. But Zoe hadn't meant anything to him; he had gone off and determined that Frankie didn't like him without asking her why she left with Zig. At this point, Campbell was almost certain she liked him-past tense, because he'd messed everything up. Maybe he had came to that conclusion because of how she still had his sweatshirt, or maybe it was the hurt look on her face.

He was stopped by another boy gripping onto the collar of his shirt and pulling him into an empty classroom, which caused his thoughts regarding Frankie to halt also. Cam's eyes widened immediately, not completely positive on what was going on. Soon, he was staring at the school president, Drew Torres. The irritation on his face was ever so present, but the smaller boy couldn't figure out what he had done to piss the other off_ that_ much. Why were so many people furious with him today? Him and Zoe were both single, right? What was so bad about hooking up with her?

He was thrown up against a wall hard, but didn't make any noise of discomfort from the action."I'm Zoe's boyfriend." Drew breathed, clearly enraged, causing Cam's heart to stop beating for almost a millisecond; he had never been in a fight before.

"Wh-what?" He stuttered, not knowing how to retort. He wasn't even a bit clever, at least not when another guy was forcing him against a cold surface.

"You heard me. She was wasted. You took advantage of her."

Cam shook his head, squirming in the older boy's grasp in an attempt to break away. "N-no, uh.. She suggested it.. I..I didn't make her do anything.." This wasn't an answer Drew was going to take, and Campbell was well aware of that. He readied himself for some kind of blow to the face; he wanted to get the hit done and over with.

"Shut up." He growled, making Cam's mouth close automatically. He didn't want to say anything that would make the situation even worse, so it was better to just obey.

But that didn't help, due to the circumstances. Drew's hand balled into a fist, and that fist was thrown in Cam's direction, right into his eye. The hit wasn't as shocking as painful, but he was able to stumble forward, which meant the other had finally let go of him. Both of his eyes had clenched shut, and when they had decided to reopen on their own, Drew was gone.

* * *

The lunchroom came off awfully quiet-at least for Cam. He wasn't able to pick up on any nearby conversations; all the boy was currently focused on was the black and blue ring that would most likely be forming around his left eye. It was incredibly red at the moment due to the 'present' Drew had given him. Cam wished he would've returned the action, but instead, he allowed the other boy to run off without any damage done to him. Everything had already happened, though, and now he had to worry about fixing things with Frankie.

He scanned around the room, needing to find the younger girl. What had gone down between him and Zoe had been a complete mistake, and he desperately wanted to take it back. There was no possible way that he could and he felt terrible. Cam quickly pulled out his phone, swiftly tapping at the keyboard.

_'Where are you?'_

No response. He hopelessly began to wander about the cafeteria, not wanting to give up the search easily. Maybe if he could at least talk to her, she might end up forgiving him; he didn't believe it, though. Campbell always ended up fucking everything up.

He soon found Frankie's table, realizing that she was sitting with Zig and his buddies. His sweatshirt was no longer on her body, and he couldn't help but wonder where it had gone. She was twirling her hair around her finger, staring off into the distance as the boys around her made wisecracks and laughed deafeningly. She didn't seem like herself; cheerful, bubbly, _happy_. Cam was able to catch a glimpse of her cell phone settled on the surface of the table-right next to her arm. What would happen if he confronted her? A million scenarios played through his head, and all of them ended up being negative in some way. But what else could he possibly lose? She was already furious with him.

Cam decided to send another text Frankie's way, since he didn't want to walk over to the table and have some kind of remark from Zig.

_'Look behind you. Can we talk?'_

Almost the second he pressed send, the girl glanced over her shoulder. An annoyed expression was plastered across her face, but she got up from the chair, and walked in Cam's direction-this was already going better than he originally thought it would.

"What?" Frankie spat, causing the boy's heartbeat to increase out of nervousness. He didn't know what to say. He had never been well at dealing with confrontation.

"I'm sorry.." was all Cam found himself saying, sighing underneath his breath. Was she going to let him explain himself, or walk away angry?

"Sorry doesn't take it back, Campbell! I don't get it. You act like you're totally into me, but the minute I'm gone, you're on some other girl! What's your problem?"

Everything was his problem, but he knew he couldn't respond with that, because trying to receive her pity wouldn't help the situation at all.

"I thought you liked me, too! I went there with you, but you ran off with Zig instead, so I didn't think you did anymore. I'm _sorry_ if that isn't a good enough reason for you!" His own tone was beginning to get louder, and a few nearby tables were staring at them. Cam didn't like the attention; he needed to get them out of their so they could continue the dispute elsewhere. Before Frankie could reply, he grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the lunchroom. They both found themselves in a deserted classroom, standing in the room completely alone. Cam slammed the door shut, locking it, and then facing the girl again once he was it was secure.

"What_ is_ your problem?" Frankie repeated her question, overlooking his previous statements from seconds before as if she hadn't even heard them.

He didn't find himself answering whatsoever, instead his lips consumed hers as quickly as possible, holding Frankie as close as he could. She didn't reject the kiss, returning the same eagerness and fervent that Cam had displayed first. Moments prior, she had been irritated with the boy, but now she was allowing him to take her breath away. It didn't make any sense to her; she was still letting it happen, though.

Campbell moved back, gasping for air. "I like you too much." He finally responded to her question, not allowing her to speak before pressing his lips against hers again. This time the kiss was much more aggressive and needy. Frankie copied the same emotions he was putting into the embrace, not wanting to refuse the actions. It felt nice; it was just like the other nights they had spent together. All she could think about was that he wasn't kissing Zoe right now. He was putting himself at risk of getting caught with her at school, and for some unknown reason, it made her entire body melt.

Her back met a frigid desk, and Cam climbed on top of her. The kiss continued, and this time he ran his tongue along her lower lip, practically begging for access into her mouth. She granted it without any issues, parting her lips and beginning to dart her own towards his. She automatically allowed Cam to have dominance, considering it seemed that's what he was going for at the moment, and who was she to deny it? She had never been a very controlling person anyway. Her legs wrapped around his waist, allowing her lower half to arch against his. Her breath hitched as she attempted to hold back a moan, not wanting to be the first one to make any sort of noise. Cam's hands began to tug at her shirt, finding their way underneath and roaming around her bare skin. A shiver was sent up her spine at the feeling, causing her hips to buck against his again. She felt him shift on top of her due to the motion, which caused Frankie to smirk into the kiss.

His mouth was removed from hers, and Frankie was about question his motives, but the boy's pair of lips soon began to trace her jawline. They slowly, in an agonizing process, lingered towards her neck. Once he had reached his destination, Cam began to nibble lightly at the skin, causing a blissful sigh to escape her throat, humming softly as his actions grew slightly rougher seconds later. Her head tilted to the opposite side, giving Cam more room to work at her skin. Her eyes remained clenched shut, biting at her lower lip as brutally as possible to resist any more audible sounds from leaving her mouth. During all of this, her body continued to buck forward, allowing her lower parts to persistently rub against Campbell's.

As he ongoingly pecked at her neck, she was able to feel his hands working at her jeans. The sound of a button unclicking filled the room, as well as the noise of the zipper begin tugged down. Frankie couldn't help but gasp as Cam's hand went underneath the fabric of her pants, his finger teasing the already damp spot on her panties. Zig had never actually taken the time to get her worked up, so this pleasurable feeling was foreign to the girl. She instantly found herself craving more, which caused her hips to jerk once more in an attempt to create some sort of friction to help ease her desires.

"Cam.." Frankie exhaled out of frustration, desperately needing even more. He clearly got the hint, because soon enough, both of her lower layers of clothing had been yanked to her ankles. He slowly slid off of her, moving himself onto the ground, holding himself up with his knees. Suddenly, all of the boy's movements stopped, and it left her incredibly confused. She peeked over herself, glancing down at him.

"...A heart?" He questioned, referring to the way she had waxed herself. Frankie, quickly embarrassed about the confrontation, covered her red tinted face with her tiny hands She tried to hide the even bigger blush that was creeping on her cheeks during this process. Zig had never commented on that before, so she hadn't expected a statement from Cam.

"Uh, sorry.. I thought it would look cute.." The niner mumbled into her hands, refusing to expose the sheepish facial expression.

All Campbell did was smirk, even though Frankie wasn't able to see it. "I think you're cute." was all that left his mouth before he brought himself even lower, surprising the girl by still wanting to continue.

His lips began to trail along her thighs in an attempt to tease her, and to bring the mood back to where it had been before his childish remark about her shaving techniques. Frankie began to whine in anticipation again, wanting Cam to hurry up with whatever he was doing. Although, the boy was certain on what he was doing, considering he had done this a few times before. His favorite part of it all was the yearning and eagerness of the other, so he had no reason to rush the activity.

"Cam, please.." She started to beg, which caused him to chuckle in a low tone.

He pulled back from a second, pressing his lips together. "Someone's impatient." He mocked, deciding not to make her wait any longer. His mouth found its way to her core, beginning to trace the alphabet inside of her wet folds. Frankie shivered at the unfamiliar, yet satisfying, touch, not being able to hold back a loud, lusty moan. Her own eyes shut immediately and her hands found Cam's brunette locks, pulling on his hair gently as a way to show she was enjoying this. Frankie wasn't certain on how she was supposed to respond, so she hoped this was the right way; she didn't want to come off as inexperienced.

Cam tried his hardest not to smile at the noises the younger girl was making, because they always meant he was doing this right. His tongue found her clit, running over the sensitive bud, which erupted a few more groans from Frankie. From the way her legs were trembling, he was positive she wasn't going to last much longer. Keeping his tongue connected to her clit, he allowed a finger to insert inside of her, pumping it in and out as soft as he possibly could.

Frankie's sounds increased, and her body began to shake even more. She could feel something building up in the pit of her stomach. This unimaginable feeling was taking over every limb, and then suddenly, it hit her. She rocked her hips against Cam's finger, trying to ride out her orgasm. Once it started to fade, the boy moved back, standing up from the floor. Frankie panted, gasping for the air she needed. Once she had caught her breath, Campbell spoke again.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" An arrogant grin was on his face when she finally glanced up at him.

"Shut up, faggot, and pull my pants up."

Cam obeyed, moving the pieces of fabric from her ankles and back to their original resting place. Frankie kept her attention on the boy, getting a good look at him, and noticing something she hadn't seen before. "Nice black eye, doofus." Before he could come up with some kind of witty retort, the bell rang, which indicated their lunch period was over.

"Shut up, idiot, and get to class."


	6. Chapter 5: All About Us

**A/N: This chapter is named after 'All About Us' by He is We.**

* * *

Frankie paced about her cluttered room, stepping over various objects that were placed all around the floor. She hadn't bothered to move any of these items, considering they would end up in their original resting place on the ground again. She couldn't help but wander around the area whenever she was speaking on the phone with someone. Whether that was an old relative, a friend from school, or Campbell Saunders… She almost always got nervous while talking on the phone with anybody.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" She asked, tripping over a pair of jeans that were laid across the carpet, but she quickly caught herself before anything besides her feet could hit the ground. She barely had time to bring her full attention back to the boy on the other line before he responded.

"Staying at home-probably. It won't be anything too special, just family stuff, I guess." Cam paused, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before daring to shift the same question back to her. "How about you?"

"Nothing." Frankie was quick to reply, already positive that her father had nothing planned for the two. Cam didn't know about his alcoholic behavior, and she didn't want him to figure it out anytime soon.. or ever.

"Really? Nothing?"

The girl nodded at first, but then realized that he couldn't see her. "Yeah." She spoke quietly.

Campbell felt bad. If she truly didn't have anybody to spend the holidays with, since he wasn't clued in on her current living situation, he wanted to be able to at least be some sort of company for her. "Why don't you come over tomorrow for Christmas Eve?" He suggested suddenly, biting at the inside of his cheek as he waited for Frankie's reaction. It was several seconds until Cam heard her voice.

"I wouldn't be interrupting or anything, right?"

All he could do was chuckle lowly, but then immediately felt bad for acting impolite towards Frankie's question. "No. You wouldn't. It's too quiet around the house anyways."

* * *

The familiar feeling of being in front of Campbell's house consumed Frankie. She remembered the last time she had been over here, and that night hadn't ended too well. It was colder than it had been a couple of weeks ago and she could currently feel the snowflakes falling right into her hair. Frankie shivered at the chilly weather, running her hand through it to try and straighten it up. By the time she reached the porch, though, her brunette locks were covered with snow all over again. At this point, she could only hope that this outcome would be better, considering it was Christmas Eve after all. The holiday season was supposed to filled with joy, happiness, warmth, and all that cliche stuff, right? She could barely recall last Christmas. Everything had been way different back then and it felt like as if it had taken place years ago. All of these thoughts were making the young girl feel hopeless about tonight, so she quickly knocked on the door before she could change her mind and head back home.

When the barrier between her and the house was broken, Cam was in front of Frankie, wearing the same apron he had been a little over a week ago. He was about to speak, but was speechless when he saw her appearance. The white snow in her hair went perfectly with her dark brown curls and it seemed as if her chocolate eyes were glowing. Her entire face was red, and then suddenly he realized that she must be cold. The boy moved aside, granting her a small smile as she took a few steps inside. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice wouldn't crack even after doing this. "Um, hey. You look nice." Cam complimented her, shuffling his feet together nervously.

Frankie immediately blushed, not being able to stop the redness from forming on her face. "Thanks. Cute apron." She responded. "I don't think I ever said anything about it last time." The brunette giggled, grinning at the older boy as his own face became the same light color.

"Right, uh, I'm making dinner.." He trailed off uncomfortably, which made Frankie snicker once again. "Aaron and Eloise are out in the living room doing...stuff? I don't know. I haven't been paying attention." He chuckled softly out of anxiety. "Anyway, you can go hang out with them or something, since the kitchen's totally boring and whatever."

"Yeah! I love kids. I'll see you in a bit." Frankie turned on her heel to walk towards the living room, but then stopped herself to tease Cam before they parted.

"You make a sexy chef, by the way." She didn't receive any kind of acknowledgment.

* * *

"Campbell sings older songs in a really bad Mickey Mouse voice when he _thinks_ he's alone." exclaimed the youngest out of his two siblings. Frankie sat on the floor in between the children as the TV was only used as a background noise.

"He can't dance. He always tries, but falls on his face instead!" Eloise informed Frankie, scooting closer to the older girl. All she could do was laugh at the embarrassing facts Cam's siblings kept notifying her of.

"He can't drink anything with ice in it. How weird is that?" Aaron said, not being able to help but laugh.

"I can't do that either!" Eloise rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her youngest brother. "But he hates the sound of chewing. He always has to hum while eating. He thinks we can't hear it, but we can." She added, continuing to tell Frankie all of Cam's strange quirks.

"Oh! And he also hates the sound of when you bang two pots together." Aaron faced Frankie completely. "That's the best way to wake him up, and if you want to get him mad." The small boy then thought of something else to mention. "And he hates ducks!" This caused Eloise to lean over and smack Aaron's arm-hard. She glared at him, which shut both of them up immediately, and left Frankie extremely confused as to what had been so terrible about that statement.

* * *

Dinner was awfully quiet, but Frankie was able to detect the soft humming that came from Cam's throat as he chewed his own food. She tried not to point this out, but couldn't help but smile to herself every time she heard it.

After everybody had finished eating, they were all back out in the living room. Eloise and Aaron were playfully taunting Cam as Frankie observed how he acted with his siblings. It was practically like he was their father; he was constantly careful as to what he said to the two and was constantly listening to whatever they had to say. Even if those comments were making fun of him, Campbell still happened to observe every single word that left their lips. She admired how good he was with those kids, because it seemed as if neither of his parents were around to raise the two of them.

Frankie caught a glance of a radio that was placed on the bookshelf across the room, and she abruptly remembered that Eloise said Cam couldn't dance. She quickly stood up, hurrying over to the device, and turning it on to the local radio station. Because of the current holiday, all they were playing was Christmas music. She was able to catch Cam's muddled facial expression and all she did was smile at him. She started to move her hips, dancing her way over to him, and pulling the boy off of the couch cushion he had resided on. "We're dancing, whether you like it or not!"

Her interjection clearly made the boy tense up, and she was aware as to why. "C'mon, you won't fall." She reassured and then winked at him, continuing to pull him around the living room. Her feet slid across the carpet as she did so, doing her best to make Cam dance with her.

Eventually, he ended up giving in, and easing up slightly. He held onto Frankie tightly so he wouldn't lose his balance as she forced the two of them to sway back and forth. When the song switched to a faster beat, she began to tug Cam around even faster, not caring if they looked like idiots. She could indistinctly hear the giggles of Aaron and Eloise around them, which caused her to laugh as well. "All I want for Christmas is youuu!" She sang loudly, allowing every possible syllable to linger as she attempted to copy Mariah Carey's voice. The melody began to fade out, and one of the radio DJs started to go on about some lousy advertisement. Neither of them had realized they were nearing one of the mistletoes that had been hung up in the house; they were only centimeters away from the plant.

Cam was the first one to look up and he quickly stepped in the opposite direction, smirking slyly at Frankie. After she had noticed why he'd moved back, he leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. In the background, Cam could hear his brother making gagging sounds. When he looked over at his sister, he noticed the smile on her face, and she shot him a thumbs up. He rolled his eyes playfully before grabbing ahold of Frankie, beginning to twirl and frolic with her about the room again as another song rang throughout the house. Soon enough, Aaron and Eloise joined in. Eloise had forced Frankie away from Cam, wanting to dance with the older girl instead. Campbell stood back, not being able to help but laugh at the sight. He was glad that his siblings were getting along with Frankie; it was the only thing he had wanted to come out of tonight.

* * *

Somehow, they all ended up on the couch, and everyone sprawled across Campbell because of the lack of room. The music was still faintly playing in the background, but everybody appeared exhausted. Cam felt somebody's knee digging into his thigh, but he was too tired to push the limb away and decided it'd be best to suffer through the minor discomfort. After a few moments, he glanced around, noticing that the source of pain was coming from Aaron. He smirked slightly to himself, rummaging around in his back pocket to pull out his phone. "Aaron, if you don't get your knee off of me, I'm going to call Santa and tell him to give your presents to some other kid." Cam threatened, unlocking his phone and pretending to dial a number. Immediately, the young boy hopped off of the couch, pulling Eloise with him just in case Cam told Santa on the both of them due to her being on top of him as well. Eloise was old enough to know that the guy was only a myth, but she continued to play around for Aaron's sake. (Actually, it was more like Cam begged her to keep up the act, since he wanted his brother to stay as young as possible). This left Frankie and Campbell on the same cushion with their legs brushing against one another.

Cam did his best not to blush, but failed in the end, and Frankie couldn't help but grin at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, before realizing that his siblings were still in the room with them. She turned her head to glance over at them, smiling at the two before returning her attention back to the older boy. "Isn't it past their bedtime?" She asked, gesturing towards Aaron and Eloise.

Cam, who still had his phone in his palm, quickly checked the time. He looked up, smirking at his brother and sister. "If you guys don't get to bed soon, Santa won't come." This statement earned a roll of the eyes from Eloise, but he chose to ignore it. Aaron rushed off to his room as fast as possible and Eloise slowly trudged behind him.

Frankie moved off of Cam, allowing him to follow his siblings back to their bedrooms. He stopped in Aaron's first and Frankie lingered in the doorway, continuing to watch how he handled the kids. First, he moved the blanket over his brother's body, reminding the other how much he meant to him. He told him that he loved him a couple times, and it seemed as if he was really trying to get his point across. Frankie couldn't help but smile at that. He was persistent on making sure Aaron knew that he cared. He then exited the boy's room, moving to Eloise's.

"How long are you keeping up this ridiculous Santa act?" She question, clearly irritated with the fact that she still had to pretend to believe in the magical being.

"I think this year will be the last, okay? Now go to sleep." Cam paused, grinning from ear to ear. "Love you." He said, a playful tone present in his voice.

Before her elder brother could leave the room, Eloise motioned for him to lean in. He put his ear closer to her lips, allowing her to whisper to him.

"I like your girlfriend."

All Campbell did was chuckle before leaving her room as well, grasping onto Frankie's arm, and tugging her into his own room.

* * *

Once in his room, he started to go through the closet, pulling out various gifts that had already been wrapped. "You're going to be Mrs. Clause tonight!" He announced gleefully, placing a few of the boxes in Frankie's arms.

She raised her eyebrows at the presents before giggling. "Does that mean we're married?"

Cam's face automatically went red and he kept his eyes glued to the closet. "For now, I guess." He responded in a soft tone and then began dragging out even more presents for his siblings. "They don't get much." He switched the topic completely, which Frankie hadn't minded. "My mom hasn't really been a mother lately. I buy them these things and try so hard because I don't want them to miss out on their childhood too." Campbell added, the mood suddenly darkening. Changing the subject again wasn't difficult, though, because he swiftly ran out of the room and then downstairs. The girl followed, not being able to walk as fast as him. When they were in the living room once more, he placed the boxes in his clutch underneath the overly small Christmas tree, which wasn't decorated due to their lack of income. He took the ones from Frankie, moving them next to the other gifts. Cam started to arrange the presents, attempting to make it look as neat as possible. He enjoyed keeping things organized, and never noticed when he was doing it half the time. If he didn't keep the house in order, who would?

Frankie stood back, laughing under her breath as he continued to move the gifts around. "Campbell, I think it's okay." She reassured him, taking a few steps towards the boy. "Let's go back to your room. C'mon, they won't care how the presents look while they're ripping them open." She added. Cam knew she had a point, so he found himself nodding, and deciding to follow Frankie back to his room.

When they entered his room, her lips connected against his almost instantly. He didn't want to complain or question her motives, so he returned the actions, yanking her even farther into his room. He stopped the kiss for a second, shutting the door behind them prior to sustaining it. Cam hadn't made any other sudden movements, but before he knew it, Frankie had forced him onto his bed and his shirt was being torn off.

* * *

Frankie watched as Cam's chest continuously rose and then fell back into the same place again. She hadn't anticipated her first time sober, and with a completely different boy, to be _that_ breathtaking. He looked so peaceful as he laid there in silence. She moved around on the mattress, grabbing her shirt and underwear before putting them back on. Once she was settled onto the bed again, she pulled the blanket on top of them, and then rolled over to face the older teen. "Wow, that was weird." She stated suddenly, causing Cam's attention to direct towards her immediately, a shock look on his face.

"What'd you mean? Did I do something wrong?" He asked, obviously paranoid over Frankie's short comment.

"No, it actually felt nice. That's weird for me." She grinned, leaning over to place a sweet kiss on Cam's cheek. Before he could response, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his bare torso. His own arm moved around her petite body, holding her close.

"Should we get you home?" He questioned out of practically nowhere, thinking of her dad.

Frankie's head shot up, and she quickly shook it. "Noooo." She whined, pausing for a moment. "I want to stay the night with you." She shifted her position so she could get a better look at Campbell. She stuck out her lower lip, trying to give the boy her best puppy dog eyes as well. "Please?" She pleaded, hovering over him to place a chaste kiss against his lips. Not being able to respond vocally, Cam automatically returned the action until Frankie forced herself to pull back. She smirked at the older teen, hoping he'd agree to her suggestion now.

"Fine, you can stay." Those words caused a joyful smile to come across her mouth. "Only if you go to sleep, 'cause I'm tired." Cam reasoned.

Frankie nodded her head frantically before returning to the way she had been previously laying. She then closed her eyes, fully aware of the fact that she was going to sleep well tonight.


	7. Chapter 6: Salvia Plath

**A/N: This chapter is named after 'Salvia Plath' by Teen Suicide.**

**The parts in italics are flashbacks, if you can't tell.**

* * *

Campbell never fell asleep. Instead, he found himself watching as Frankie stirred around in her slumber every once in a while. It was relaxing to know that the girl he cared deeply about felt safe around him. He had never imagined this happening to him-at least not again. The idea of putting all of his feelings into one person wasn't something Cam wanted to do another time, but right now wasn't the time to fathom that. He needed to get Frankie home, just in case her father wanted to celebrate Christmas with her. He couldn't be selfish and allow her body to keep him warm for the rest of the night; he had always considered family something important. He didn't know if that fairly simple word was significant to Francesca Hollingsworth or not, but he had no desire to ponder on it. He _did_ desire to get her home, and what person currently in Toronto didn't know where the mayor (actually, ex-mayor) lived?

He removed his arms from the girl, forcing himself out from the covers and away from his own bed. He pulled on his own clothes, which had been laying on the floor for hours now. He then noticed a few pieces of fabric that belonged to Frankie, which he ended up putting into his grasp as well. He flung the attire over his shoulder as he made his way to the opposite side of the bed, placing his arms underneath her legs and neck, and then picked up the tiny teenager with the amount of muscle he had. As he roamed throughout the hallway, he passed his room; the only room in the house he hadn't been in for years.

* * *

_"Teach me how! Please, Justin?" A young boy, who had recently turned nine, hummed as he sprinted towards the bedroom next to his. Justin had heard this and swiftly hopped off of his bed, getting ready to slam the door in his brother's face._

_He was too late, though. Campbell was already inside, begging for him to teach him how to properly skate on ice._

_It was barely February and any nearby ponds had been frozen over. There was a light blanket of snow dressing the ground, and many more flakes continued to fall from the clouds above. This didn't seem to bother Cam, though. He wasn't going to stop bugging his elder brother until he was taught how to skate. Justin had promised him when he turned nine that he would demonstrate the skill, since that was the same age their dad taught him._

_Justin wasn't particularly in the mood right then, but Mr. Saunders was busy at work, so it appeared he had no choice._

_"Go get ready. I need to do a few things."_

His hands never left the visible flesh that was on his wrists during their brief conversation, and that was something Cam wished he would've taken note of before leaving the room.

* * *

Cam didn't have any obvious struggles as he began to venture downstairs. Upon reaching the living room, he was able to notice a figure on the couch; this figure was clearly his mother. He sighed softly, continuing to make his way out of the house, being as silent as possible so he wouldn't wake the sleeping woman.

The keys were on a ledge as he got closer to the door. It was already unlocked and slightly cracked open, so it was easy for Campbell to get outdoors. It was freezing out, and he was surprised that the frigid weather alone hadn't woken up Frankie. He was able to lay her down in the backseat without disrupting her rest, though, and hurried to get into the driver's seat. He drove down the highway, paying attention to the small number of cars that passed him. Their lights flashed in his face, but it wasn't something he had ever minded. Cam was always fond of driving, and just cars in general. The feeling of rolling down your windows and going over the speed limit was a rush he couldn't describe. What if there was a hidden police car somewhere? What if another car came his way and he had to use his reflexes to spin out of their path? But tonight, he didn't do that as he drove towards the Hollingsworth household.

* * *

_"I passed!" He announced as he bursted through the doors, the rest of the family settled into the living room._

_Cam was the first one to plead for some sort of ride around the city. Justin agreed to take his younger, and closest brother, out for a ride before anybody else._

_Sitting in the passenger's seat, Cam watched as the older boy operated the car. He yearned to be able to drive someday. Where would he go? At the age of twelve, he didn't know. All he was sure of was that he wanted to be somewhere more interesting; to do something with hockey; to be just like Justin. He was his role model and everything the boy aspired to be. No one was cooler than Justin Saunders, at least not to Campbell; no one would ever compare._

_"Can we go for a drive every day?" He inquired as the car turned. Justin only chuckled, nodding his head lightly. He basically said anything to satisfy his younger brother._

_"Will you teach me how to drive too?"_

_Justin nodded again, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket as one of his hands rested on the steering wheel._

He ended up fulfilling only one of those promises.

* * *

Frankie's desperate breathing was the first thing Cam heard when all of the flashbacks seemed to cease. He was quick to pull the car to the side, not entirely sure on what was going on with her. All he knew what that it was bad and being in the car wasn't helpful. She had sat up in the backseat by now and it was clear that she couldn't breathe.

"Get me out! Get me out!" Frankie chanted over and over again. She didn't know where she was, or how she had gotten into a car. She hadn't been inside of one since her only anxiety attack. Suddenly, the vehicle stopped, and somebody was pulling her out. The arms of this person wrapped firmly around her, keeping her body close to theirs. Their fingertips began to run through her hair as their voice reassured that she was okay; she was safe; nothing was going to hurt her. Frankie found it difficult to stand, and most likely would've fallen if it wasn't for the support of Cam. Cam was the one comforting her, right? She wanted to look up and see, but her brown orbs were clouded with messy tears. It didn't matter who it was right now, all that she cared about was that this wave of apprehension passed. Frankie filled her lungs with air, slowly exhaling. She tried to find the balance of breathing again, so once she got into the pattern again she was relieved.

"Keep breathing. You're safe." Campbell's consistent words eased her nerves. Frankie felt her limbs relax in his embrace. He never once questioned what had triggered this attack or mentioned the car to her, which was something she admired. Did he have his own days like this, or was Cam just _that_ courteous? How did he know what to do unlike her own father? Why did she trust him more than her dad?

He picked her up again, carrying the girl to the hood of his car. Cam settled into it, placing Frankie in his lap. His hands continued to move through her hair, knowing this was a successful method in calming somebody down. He felt her body lean back into his and her breathing was becoming regular again; that was always a good sign. "We don't have to talk about anything." Campbell told her in a light tone. "Only if you want to."

At this point, Frankie knew it was Cam. Cam had forced her into a car. When? She wasn't certain, but she also couldn't blame him. He had no idea about her phobia of any sort of motorized object. She hated planes, trains, go-karts, boats, and most of all-cars. Cars were the one thing she couldn't even stand to look at. They were deadly, dangerous, and altogether terrifying. The more she thought about being in one only seconds ago, the more anxious she became. She wasn't going to freak out again, though. She was out now and able to breathe in the fresh air around her.

"You're probably cold. You don't have much on." Cam chuckled, glancing over the current attire Frankie had on. He slowly moved away from her, hopping off of the car. He went back into the vehicle, grabbing the extra clothes he had taken for her. He then returned to his spot, sitting next to Frankie. Once she received the items, she quickly put them on, instantly realizing how chilly out it currently was.

When the bare parts of her skin were covered, she spoke abruptly. "I can't stand cars."

Cam nodded his head in understandment. "We won't use the car then." He paused for a moment. "We can walk you home."

"Is that what you were trying to do? Get me home?"

He shrugged. "I thought that your dad might want to see you on Christmas.. I don't know.. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Frankie smiled in his direction. "Can I tell you something?" Without waiting for any sort of acknowledgement, she decided to continue anyway. "I stopped liking cars after Miles and my mom.. You know.." She trailed off, assuming that Cam was already aware. She had talked briefly about the event in therapy before and there had also been tons of newspaper articles surrounding the accident. "I was in it. I was fine, obviously, but I've only been in a car twice after that." It appeared that Cam was listening, so she didn't stop. "My dad made me get in one and I had this really bad panic attack, I don't even know… But he didn't know what to do, so he took me to the hospital. I didn't want to be put on any meds, because they would screw with my weed and all of that.. So I picked therapy. Tonight was the first time I've been in a car since that." After explaining all of that, Frankie felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She rarely talked about any of her experiences, and even though that hadn't been _everything_, it was close to enough.

Campbell moved his arms around the tiny girl, pulling her towards him once more. "And I'll say it again, we won't use cars." He felt the need to remind her. He would never want to make Frankie uncomfortable or purposely provoke one of her attacks, so it would be better to just avoid driving.

Frankie grinned up at the older boy, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks. Is there anything you want to get off your chest?" Of course, she wasn't going to force him to open up, considering he hadn't pressured her whatsoever.

Cam thought about it. He never spoke about Justin, or the past in general, ever. It was a topic he simply avoided and it wasn't as if any of his family members brought it up. He trusted Frankie; there was something about her that made him _want_ to tell. Putting all of these emotions into a single being was petrifying and he didn't want to be like this; he didn't want to be so attached to this girl. Infatuation always led to distress and that was never something Cam handled well, which was extremely clear due to the state of his arms.

"I want to trust you." rolled off of his tongue, echoing against the roof of his mouth. He hadn't meant this in a bad way; he truly _did_ want to inform her of his past. It was difficult to find the words. Also, it was ten times harder to simply come out and say all of the bad things in your life to someone you had only known for a couple of months. Granted, him and Frankie had grown overly close during this time period, but Campbell was still indecisive about letting her in. Looking at the girl in his arms and noticing her hurt facial expression, he decided to quickly speak again.

"I mean, it's not you. It's me." How cliche. He sighed deeply instead.

"Let me rephrase that. Most people that I like end up leaving me somehow." Cam paused to breathe. "Whether they die, just stop caring, hate me, or fuck up." He smiled gently at Frankie in an attempt to lighten the current mood.

"So you like me?" was the only thing she said in response, which erupted a genuine chuckle from Campbell.

"Yeah." He smirked.

"Okay, sorry, keep going?"

The boy laughed again, not taking her random interruption to heart. He continued with what he was trying to say. "I had this girlfriend in grade nine. It was only a few months after Justin died." Cam gulped as he saw the confused look on Frankie's face. "My brother." After that clarification, it suddenly went away, and she nodded for him to proceed. "We did a lot together, whatever, you know? I knew it wasn't going to last, I mean, it was just puppy love, I guess.. I don't know." He moved around his words, trying not to offend Frankie in the slightest. "She cheated on me with some guy. I didn't know about it for a few weeks after. It sucked, but I'm over it now. So, that's one of the reasons I don't trust most people. Well, there's more, but it doesn't matter right now." Cam moved Frankie out of his embrace, getting off of the car hood, holding his hand out for her. "Let's walk back to my house. I need to show you something."

* * *

The walk was longer than it should've been, considering the two teens were dreadfully exhausted. The piles of snow covering unshoveled sidewalks didn't help either. They eventually made it back to the Saunders' home, though, and Cam led Frankie back upstairs. But, this time, they went into a room that wasn't nearly as far down the hall; it was right by the steps. Frankie had seen it every time they passed last night, but never thought of questioning the closed door.

Suddenly, it was open, and Cam was waiting for the girl to go inside before following her himself.

He flicked on the light, revealing a room with pure white walls. On the left side, there were shelves covered with glass duck models, and a bed with blue sheets on the opposite area. Cam had taken note of Frankie's interest in Justin's duck collection, which made him laugh underneath his breath. He had always found his obsession with the animal strange, and that was why he couldn't stand the creature today. He hated almost anything that made him think of the older boy.

"He loved ducks. It was really weird. I never got it." Cam stated before plopping down on Justin's bed, acting as if none of this phased. Although, he hadn't been in his brother's room since the middle of grade nine. No one else dared to even touch the wood on the door, but Campbell had been brave enough to enter the territory one last time. He hadn't anticipated to be sitting in here tonight, or ever again, to be perfectly honest.

Frankie turned to look at Cam, raising her eyebrows at the boy. "Can I, uh, sit or..?" She asked, running her hands through her hair uncomfortably.

Nodding his head, he patted the spot on the mattress next to him, encouraging Frankie to sit next to him. She did just that, being cautious not to mess up the bedspread on his deceased brother's bed. Cam had noticed how she delicately moved her body onto the area and he couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry. It's not like he's going to get _mad_ if you move the blanket or something." As he spoke, he picked up a pillow from the top of the bed, tossing it in Frankie's direction. She caught it, forcing a brittle smile, and then glanced down at the object now in her lap. He seemed to be okay with Justin's passing, which was something Frankie could see passed. She wasn't going to call him out on this, though, because it wasn't her place to do so.

"He died there." Campbell announced abruptly, pointing at the closet. "I bet part of the rope's still in there." He slid off of the bed, walking over to the door that would open the closet. He pulled it away, revealing clothes that hadn't been worn in years. The last remains of a rope was still wrapped around the pole which held unoccupied hangers. He had completely forgotten about Frankie, who was still seated on the bed and observing his actions.

His fingers found the rope, gently running across it. It hurt slightly, due to the fact it had a rough texture, but he didn't find himself minding it. After staring at the object that ended Justin last few breaths, he sat down in the closet, pressing his back against the wall. He caught Frankie's gaze and he could feel water swelling up in his brown eyes. "This is how he felt." Cam muttered underneath his breath, breaking eye contact with the girl to pull his knees up to his chest and wrap his arms around them. In that moment, he wanted to be like his elder brother; he wanted to be gone. He was sick of feeling this way and it didn't seem as if any of it was going to stop. He had to be strong every day and it was becoming sickening. There was no reason for living anymore. His head fell into his lap, not wanting to show that he was beginning to cry. Footsteps neared the closet, but Campbell paid no attention to them.

Frankie wasn't certain on how to comfort the boy, but she knew she couldn't have stayed on the bed. He was obviously distraught about all of this, and even though she had been able to put together bits and pieces, she was still confused. Why hadn't he realized that looking in the closet would've triggered him? It wasn't something she could scold him about, considering his current state. She moved into the closet, feeling eerie about being in here, but tried not to focus on that. She sat down next to Cam, resting her head on his shoulder, and enveloping him in her embrace. "You don't have to end up like him." She whispered softly, staying close to him.

He lifted up his head and returned the action, moving his arms around her as well. "I don't want to."


End file.
